Sheet-cutting machine



June 5, 1923.

A. CHEETHAM SHEET CUTTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 5, 1920 June 5, 1923. 1,458,122

A. CHEETHAM I SHEET CUTTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L 1.1 1 KM? Patented June 5, 1923..

ARTHUR CI-IEETHAIVI, 0F TGRGNTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOB 0F ONE-HALF TO FRED M. BAWDEN, OI TORONTQ, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SHEET-CUTTING lJIAClIINE.

Application filed November 5, 1921). Serial No. 421,826.

To all to 110m it may concern Be it known that l, ARTHUR CHEETHAM, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in th Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Cutting Machines, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription of the same.

This invention has reference to the out ting or notching, more particularly in a marginal manner of moving sheets such for example as of paper or linen, and has for its objects to enable such sheets to be cut or notched whilst in motion without tearing and in a very precise manner, so that notches having a width proportionately smaller to their depth may be accurately cut in moving sheets, and has as a further object to provide for such purpose a rotary punch which will during a stage of its operation follow a moving sheet at practically an equal speed thereto and effect the cutting or notching thereof during such stage.

A still further object is to provide a selfstripping punch wherein the portion cut from the sheet is removed and the punch withdrawn from the path of the sheet in a rapid and practically instantaneous manner, whereby tearing or distortion of the sheet is avoided; and a still further object is to provide means whereby a sheet having lineal movement may be out or notched by a punch having a rotary movement and to provide means whereby said punch in its rotation is brought into and out of operable juxtaposition with the moving sheet.

Still further objects subsidiary to or resulting from the aforesaid object or from the construction or operation of the invention as it may be carried into effect will become apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed.

In carrying the said invention into effect I may provide, in a sheet cutting machine, means for the cutting or notching of a moving sheet such as a notched member contiguous which the margin of the sheet travels and a punch complementary to said notch, which punch may! be carried by the said member and adapted to be carried into and out of juxtaposition with the margin of said sheet, said punch practically agreeing in speed and direction with the movement of said sheet when juxtaposed therewith, and

means effecting the cutting operation of said punch such as a cam device adapted to bring said punch into cutting position and punch actuating means adapted to eifect the cutting operation of said punch, which punch is arranged to be immediately withdrawn from the path of said sheet when said cutting operation is effected; all of which is more par ticularly described and ascertained by way of example having reference to the construc tion illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a fragmentary plan view of a sheet cuttin machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same taken on the line 22 Figure 1. I

. Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 3 3 Figure 1 the feed roller being omitted.

Figure 4: is a perspective view of one of the rotary punch devices in operation.

Figure 5 is a detail view of one of the said rotary punch devices and Figure 6 is a detail fragmentary view of a sheet punched by the device illustrated.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts in the several Figures of the drawing, and Figures 4 and 5 are drawn to a larger scale than are Figures 1, 2 and 3.

1 are side frames of a machine with which the invention is illustrated, 2 being a feed shaft upon which a feed roller 3 is mounted and coacts with an idler roller 4 to feed a sheet 5, of linen or paper, or other desired material; the mechanism to be described in this instance being illustrated as arranged for the purposes of cutting upwardly turned margins 6 of such sheet.

Mounted on the said shaft 2 and facing one another, in spaced relation according to the width of the said sheet are rotary punch devices each comprising a drum 7 having a disc or face plate 8 rotatable therewith over which the respective margins 6 of the sheet 5 travel as th said sheet 5 is fed forwardly by the feed roller 3. The said face plates 8 are provided with orifices, or notches, 9 and 10, in which punches 11 and 12 complementary thereto may slide, the said punches being illustrated as having reduced stems, 13 and 14 respectively of smaller cross sectional dimensions than the said punches 11 and 12 the said stems 13 and 14 connecting the said punches operatively with blocks 15 and 16 having rearwardly extending tappets 17 and 18 and slidable in grooves 19 in the said drum 7.

The said punch" carriers revolve with the shaft 2 at the same speed as the feed roller 3 and the punches being so arranged that their cutting parts are approximately the same distance from the centre of rotation as is the periphery of the roller 3 it follows that such punches will successively be brought into and out of juxtaposition with the margin of the sheet 5, as it is fed forwardly and when so brought into juxtaposition will be travelling in approximately the same direction and at the same's-peed as the said sheet.

It will be seen that the cutters 11 and 12 v are arranged to effect their cutting operation by extending outwardly over the margins of the sheet in spaced relation to the face plates 8 and thereafter being retracted through the said margins of the sheet into the notches or orifices 9 and 10 of the face plates 8 and, to effect this operation, stationary cams 20 are arranged in the paths of the said .tap-

pets 17 and 18 the apices of the said cams being at the lowermost point in the rotary path of the tappets whereby the said cams will through the said tappets, blocks and stems effect the gradual movement of the said punches with respect to the said face plates 8 in orderthat the said punches 11 and 12 will be spaced therefrom prior to their being rotated into juxtaposition with the margins of the sheet.

21 and 22 are springs compressively situated between the blocks 15 and 16 respectively and the plate 8 whereby the tappets 17 and 18 are forced rearwardly against the cams 20.

I As each punch 11 or 12 in turn is brought into spaced relation with the face of the disc 8 and is rotated until it passes over the margin of the sheet, as described, its respective tappet 17 'or 18 reaches the apex of its op erating cam 20 which effects the said spacing of the punch with respect to the face plate or disc, so that the further rotation of the punch carrier results in the said tappet 17 or 18 passing over the said apex of the cam allowing the springs 21 or 22, as the case may be to effect through the medium of the respective block and stem the rapid retraction of the punch 11 or 12 through the sheet and into the orifice, or notch in the said plate carrying with it the piece of the sheet which has been cut and passing completely out of the path of the moving sheet. This action being almost instantaneous, and occuring at a moment when the said sheet andpunch 11 or 12 are travelling in practically the same direction and at the same speed insures a cutting of the sheet true to the configuration of the punch and without tearing or distortion of the said sheet.

' The punches carried by the punch carrier may be varied as to number or relative position according to the pattern or frequency of cutting desired, and I have illustrated the punches in this embodiment of myinas the sheet is travelling at high speed. In

this illustration the margins are shown as being laid out in the same plane as the sheet 5. 24: indicate notches cut by the punches 12 wherein one of the walls of the notch is practically at right angles to the length of the sheet. i

It will be seen that, if the envelope blank be cut, by any suitable means from such a notched sheet such as in the manner indicated in dotted lines thereon, such a blank may be folded on a line extending between the opposite notches 22whereupon the marginal extensions resulting from the said notching will have their cut ends approximately at right angles to the said margins whereby if such margins be folded and secured to complete an envelope, the corners thereof would be closely inter-locked, which, as explained, is rendered possible by the use of the quick-acting, self-stripping punch, brought into juxtaposition with the moving sheet to be punched and operated whilst said sheet and said punchare travelling in approximately the same directionand at approximately the same speed, thus rendering unnecessary any interruption in the progress of the sheet whilst being punched This invention mavbe developed within the scope of the following claims without departing from the essential features of'the said invention, and it is desired that the specification and drawings be read as being merely illustrative and not in the limiting sense, except as necessitated by the [prior art.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In adeviceof theclass described means for the notching of the margin of a moving sheet, said means comprising a notched member over which said margin travels, a. punch complementary to the'notch in said member rotary means adapted to carrysaid punch into and out of juxtaposition with the margin of said sheet, said punchpractically agreeing in speed and direction of movement with the said sheet when juxtaposed therewith, and means effecting the passage of said punch through said sheet and out of the path of the said sheet during sheet, said means comprising a notched member over which said margin travels, a punch complementary to the notch in said member, rotary means adapted to carry said punch into and out of juxtaposition with the margin of said sheet, said punch practically agreeing in speed and direction of movement with the said sheet when juxtaposed therewith, and means effecting the rapid passage of said punch through said sheet and completely into the notch of said mem her during such juxtaposition.

3. In a device of the class described, means for the notching of the margin of a moving sheet, said means comprising a rotary notched member over which the said margin travels, a punch complentary to the notch in said member and rotating therewith into and out of juxtaposition with the margin of said sheet, said punch practically agreeing in speed and direction of movement with said sheet when juxtaposed therewith, means effecting the movement of said punch outwardly from said member prior to such juxtaposition, and means thereafter effecting the rapid return of said punch through said sheet into the notch of said member.

at. In a device of the class described, means for the notching of the margin of a moving sheet, said means comprising a rotary notched member a punch complementary to the notch in the said member and rotating therewith, means effecting the outward movement of said punch whereby the cutting face thereof is spaced from the surface of said member for the reception of a moving sheet therebetween and means effecting the rapid retraction of said punch into the notch of said member at a predetermined period in the rotation thereof.

5. In a device of the class described, means for the notching of the margin of a moving sheet said means comprising a rotary notched member over which the said margin travels, a punch complementary to the notch in said member and rotating therewith into an out of juxtaposition with the margin of a moving sheet, said punch practically agreeing in speed and direction of movement with said sheet when juxtaposed therewith, means for effecting the gradual outward movement of said punch from the said member prior to such juxtaposition, and means thereafter effecting the rapid return of said punch through said sheet into the notch of said member.

6. In a device of the class described, means for the notching of the margin of a moving sheet, said means comprising a rotary notched member a punch complementary to the notch in said member and rotating therewith means effecting the gradual outward movement of said punch whereby the cutting face thereof is spaced from the surface of said member for the reception of a moving sheet therebetween and means effecting the rapid retraction of said punch into the notch of said member at a predetermined period in the rotation thereof.

7. In a device of the class described, means for the notching of the opposite margins of a moving sheet, said means comprising a pair of punch carriers having synchronized movement and each rotatable in a plane parallel to the surface of the respective margins to be cut, a punch carried and rotated by each of said carriers into and out of juxtaposition with the opposite margins of said sheet and means imparting a reciprocal cutting action to said punches at, right angles to the planes of rotation of said carriers when said punches are so juxtaposed.

8. In a device of the class described, means for the notching of the margins of a moving sheet, said means comprising a rotary disc having a notch therein substantially removed from the axis thereof a punch complementary to the notch in said disc and rotating therewith means efiecting the outward movement of said punch, whereby the cutting face thereof is spaced from the surface of said disc for the reception of a moving sheet therebetween, and means efl'ecting the rapid retraction of said punch into said notch at a predetermined period in the rotation of said disc.

9. In a device of the class described, a rotary notched member, a reciprocating punch complementary to said notch and rotating with said member in constant register with said notch, and means alternately reciprocating said punch to a spaced relation with said member and a complete retraction into said notch.

10. In a device of the class described, a rotary disc having a notch therein substantially removed from the axis thereof, a reciprocating punch complementary to said notch and rotating with said disc in constant register with said notch, and means alternately reciprocating said punch to a spaced relation with the face of said disc and a complete retraction into said notch.

11. In a device of the class described, a rotary punch carrier, a reciprocating punch carried thereby, said punch having its cutting edge presented towards said carrier, and v means effecting the cutting operation of said punch as by the movement thereof towards said carrier as it is successively moved by said carrier into a common predetermined position.

12. In a device of the class described, a rotary member having a plurality of notches therein, a plurality of reciprocating punches complementary to said notches and rotatable with said member in constant register with said notches, and means effecting the cutting operation of said punches by their entrance predetermined position.

successively into said notches as each of sald notchessuccesslvely assumes a common .13.;Ina device of the class described, a rotary member having a plurality of notches therein, a plurality of reciprocating punches complemetary to said notches and rotatable withsaid member, said punches having their cutting edges presented towards said member, means effecting the outward movement of said punches successively prior to their approaching a predetermined common position in their rotation, and means effecting the rapid retraction of said punches successively intotheir respective notches and consequent ccuttlng operation as such prede termined position is assumed.

l4. a device of the class described, a rotary disc having a plurality ,of notches therein substantially removed from the axis thereof a plurality of punches complementary ,tothe sai d notches: androtating with said discand means efi'ecting the cutting operation of said punches by their retraction successively into said notches as eachof said punches successively assumes a commonpredetermined position.

15. In a device of the classdescribed, a rotary disc having a plurality of notches therein substantially removed from the axis thereof, a plurality of punches complementary to the said notches and rotating with said disc means effecting the successive outward movement of said punches whereby the cutting faces thereof are spacedfrom the surface of said disc prior to said punches assuming a common predetermined a position into rotation of sa d discand meanseilecting the rapid retraction of each of said punches as it assumes such predetermined position.

Signed at the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, this 17th day of May, 1919 ARTHUR ,CHEETHAM. 

